1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive vehicle hood stop mechanism and, more particularly, to a stop mechanism for the hood of an automotive vehicle for controlling backward movement of the hood upon occurrence of a front-end collision.
2. Description of Related Art
An automotive vehicle hood is conventionally provided with a hood stop mechanism, which typically comprises a hook, projecting from one of either a hood or a car body, engaging with an opening or slot, formed in the other of the hood or car body. The hook and opening or slot cooperate to restrict backward movement of the hood toward a front windshield during a collision, such as a front-end collision. An impact force acting on the hood during a collision is directed obliquely upward, at a slight acute angle relative to the hood, so as to open the hood. For this reason, the hook is shaped so as to have an L-shaped end and provide a positive engagement with the hood or the car body when the hood crashes and opens.
In order to allow the hood to be pushed up so as to be opened about a hinge, the hinge must be located behind the hood stop mechanism near the rear end of the hood. In such a hood structure, because impact acting on the hood during a front-end collision is distributed to the hood stop mechanism and the hinge, the hood, if the hinge is broken due to the front-end collision, is prevented from interfering with and shattering the windshield located at the rear end thereof. Such a hood structure is known from, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1-133,081, entitled "Safety Click Mechanism For Hood Panel," published Sep. 11, 1989.
To provide additional safety during a front-end collision, it has been proposed to provide a hood with a structure which allows the hood to bend upward to some extent at an approximately intermediate portion thereof while the hood is opened due to the front-end collision. This helps to absorb an impact force acting on the hood. However, although the hood is bendable during opening, it has a hood stop mechanism. The hood, therefore, is limited in upward bending, as well as in backward movement, by the stop mechanism. As a result, the hood may not bend desirably at the intended location and, accordingly, risk that external impact on the hood will be insufficiently absorbed arises.